Locomotive stoker



Oct. 11, 1938. A. R. CHALKER LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed Nov. 18, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORN EY Oct. 11, 1938. A. R. CHALKER LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed Nov. 18, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 \\Nmm wm um ATTORNEY.

4 Sheets-Sheet s I -INVEN.TOR. Abbe/21; R. @hgzlken Q Qy z ATTORNEY.

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed Nov. 18, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. Abbe/wt R. Cha lker ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 11,1938

PATENT OFFICE LOCOMOTIVE STOKER' Albert R. Chalker, Wesleyville, Pa assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Standard Stoker Company, Inc. (1922), New York, N. 1., a corporation of Delaware Application November 18, 1935, Serial No. 50,273

6 Claims.

My invention relates generally to stokers and particularly to locomotive stokers adapted to convey coal from the locomotive tender to the locomotive firebox, there to be distributed over the fire.

It is an object of the invention to provide a stoke'r which is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, and adapted to be easily and readily installed in pre-existing locomotives and tenders without materially changing theirpresent structure.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of an approximately straight conduit system housing a single screw conveyor arranged to receive fuel from the tender bin by gravity and to convey it directly to the firing opening of the locomotive firebox.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved mounting arrangement of the stoker within the locomotive and tender.

A further and more specific object of the invention resides in providing a tender with a novel spout arrangement beneath the fuel bin thereof.

Further objects and advantages of the invention reside in the novel construction of parts and the novel combination and relation of elements, all as brought out in the following description and the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a longitudinal vertical central section through adjacent portions of the locomotive and tender, with the novel stoker applied thereto and shown in side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1 with parts broken away and parts of the locomotive and tender shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical central section through adjacent portions of the locomotive and tender, with the stoker applied thereto and shown in similar section;

Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation of the locomotive with the locomotive unit of the stoker applied thereto;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig.

' Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the structure shown in Fi 5. i

teferring to the drawings, a locomotive is indicated generally by the letter A and a tender by B, the two being connected by a coupling C to permit articulation therebetween.

The locomotive A is provided with a boiler firebox Ill, at the rear of which is the backhead Ii having a firing opening i2 therethrough above the level of the locomotive cab deck ii. The tender B includes the-frame H and the tank ii, the latter being provided with the fuel bin IS, the water compartment l1, and the stoker compartment It. The tank used for purposes of describing the invention is shown as cylindrical but the invention is equally applicable to tanks of other shapes and designs.

The upright longitudinally extending walls I9 and 20 and the inclined transverse wall 2| define the sides and rear of the stoker compartment I8 and separate it from the water compartment H. The fuel bin l6 includes a rear slope sheet 22 and a floor 23 provided with a longitudinally extending central opening 24. The opening 24 may be closed when desired by a plurality of slidably mounted plates 25 which are so arranged that they may be drawn forward one at a time as the fuel is consumed to present a relatively small gpening in the desired position in the floor of the Fuel is conveyed forwardly from the tender to the locomotive firebox by a stoker, indicated generally by the letter D. The stoker D includes a transfer conduit 26 mounted at its rearward end within the compartment l8 and a short nozzle 21 rigidly secured to the backhead II in any suitable manner and communicating with the lower portion of the firing opening l2. The transfer conduit 26 slopes upwardly and forwardly and extends through the cab deck IS, the bottom inside surface of the conduit being substantially straight along the medial vertical plane of the conduit. At its forward end the conduit 26 is provided with a ball member 28, arranged to be received in the socket portion 29 of the nozzle 21, thereby providing for universal movement between the conduit and nozzle. The conduit 26 is provided at its lower end with rollers 30 mounted on the bearings 14, preferably formed integral with the lower end of the transfer conduit 26. The rollers 30 are movable along the tracks 3| of the tender frame ll to permit fore and aft movement of the transfer conduit 26 with respect to the tender as relative longitudinal movement between the locomotive and tender occurs.

The lower portion 32 of the conduit 26 is hopper-like in construction. having diverging side walls 33 and 34, an upright front wall 35, and a rear wall 36 having an upright lower portion 31 and a rearwardly inclined upper portion 38. Forward of the front wall 35, the hopper 32 is provided with an integral trough extension 38, an opening 58 in the front wall 35 providing communication between the hopper 32 and the extension 38. A tubular member 5| constitutes the forward portion of the transfer conduit 28 and is received by and rigidly secured, in any suitable manner, with the extension 88.

A single screw conveyor 82 is mounted in the transfer conduit 25 and terminates at its forward end within the nozzle 21, making substantially a direct delivery of fuel from the hopper 32 to the distributing mechanism ,53. The substantially straight delivery avoids any sharp turns or angles which wouldtend to cause impacting of the fuel and consequent undesirable crushing of the fuel and permits the use of a single continuous screw conveyor, thus obviating the use of universal joints in the screw conveying system which also tend to cause undesirable crushing of the fuel. 7

The screw conveyor 52 is driven from its rearward end by a motor 54, mounted on the locomotive frame 45. The motor shaft 55 is universally connected to a shaft 51 comprising telescopically related sections 88 and 58, which in turn is universally connected with a shaft 58 journaled in a bracket 5|, mounted on the conduit 25. The shaft 58 is universally connected with a shaft 52, journaled in the gear casing 53, and gearing 54 operatively connects the shaft 52 with the shaft 55, which inturn is connected with the screw conveyor 52. a

In the practical application to a locomoti and tender of a stoker having a straight inclined transfer conduit delivering fuel from the tender to the firing opening, as best shown in Figures 1 and 3, it is clear that the transfer conduit can extend rearwardly into the tender a limited distance only. It is desirable, however, to have the opening in the fuel bin floor extend to the rearward end of the bin to make the entire bin available for stoker firing of .fuel. In the patent to Fahnestock 1,792,216 the fuel must be conveyed forwardly from beneath the rear of the bin to the hopper of the transfer conveyor by another eonveyor. Such added conveying means is obviated in the present construction, and fuel is delivered by gravity from all parts of the bin directly to the hopper 32 of the transfer conduit 25. Elimination of added conveying means provides additional water space without in any way limiting the coal carrying space. In applicants novel construction a shorter section of the screw is receiving coal from the fuel bin, thus less power is required to operate the stoker.

Angle bars 55 are secured to the under side of the bin floor 23 and extend longitudinally along the opposite sides of the opening 28. Secured to the inner sides of the angle bars 55 is a spout 51 embracing the opening 25, having a sloping front wall 58 and side walls 58 and 50. The side walls 58 and Gil extend downwardly a greater distance near the front wall 58 and taper off toward the rear of the bin. The height of the front and side walls 58, 58 and 581s of course limited so that sufficient clearance is provided to permit pulling the transfer conduit 25 out of the tender or inserting it therein through the front end thereof.

In order to permit the fuel in the rearward portion of the bin to fall by gravity into the hopper of the transfer conduit, a chute 5| is provided. The chute 5| is pivotally mounted at its rearward end subjacent the rearward end of the bin floor on pins 52 secured in the outer sides of the angle bars 58. The bottom wall 53 of the chute extends downwardly and forwardly from the rear slope sheet 22 of the bin over the inclined upper ,wall portion 38 of the hopper 32.

' The side walls 55 and 55 of the chute extend upwardly and embrace the lower edge of the tapered portion of the side walls of the spout 51, so that the chute can be raised about its pivotal connection to telescope the rearward portion of the spout 51.

A spout 85 is pivotally mounted on a bar 51 extending transversely of and secured to the forward ends of the angle bars 55. The spout 55 has a front wall 58 fitting within the hopper 32 and outside of the front wall of the spout 51. The side walls 58 and 18 of the spout 55 fit outside of and telescope the front end of the chute 5| and likewise fit outside of and telescope the lower edge of the forward portion of the side walls of the spout 51. A bar 1| extends transversely of and is secured to the extreme lower rearward ends of the side walls 58 and 10 of the spout 55. The lower rearward end of the spout 55 rests on the inclined wall portion 38 of the hopper 32 and is free to move therealong as longitudinal movement of the transfer conduit with respect to the tender occurs. The lower end of the chute 5| rests on the bar 1| permitting the chute 5| to slide within the 'spout 55. The motion of the hopper, it will be seen, causes movement of the pivotally mounted chute 5|, since the latter is supported at its end opposite its pivotally mounted end on the inclined wall portion 38 of the hopper 32, thereby keeping the fuel agitated which will cause it to be fed onto the screw conveyor 52 more uniformly.

The spouts 51 and 55 and the chute 5| thus form guides insuring the delivery of all the fuel to the hopper 32. The pivotal-connections of the spout 55 and the chute 5| permit them to be raised when the transfer conduit is either removed or placed in position in the tender. To prevent the chute 5| and spout 55 from coming apart and dropping down after the transfer con duit is removed, a slot 12 is provided in each of the side walls 54 and 55 of the chute 5| arranged to receive the pins 13 secured to the side walls 58 and 10 of the spout 55.

The lower forward wall of the nozzle 21 is provided with a slightly upturned transversely extending rolled edge and the lower rearward end of the distributing device 43 is provided with an arcuate indentation 2 arranged to receive the rolled edge I, permitting partial rotation of the distributing mechanism 43 about a transverse horizontal axis. When the lock nuts 8| are loosened, the distributing mechanism can be rotated a distance corresponding to the length of the arcuate slot 82 and adjusted to any one of a number of positions and secured in that position by tightening the lock nuts 8|. Thus the trajectory of the propelled fuel particles can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the slope of the distributing table.

The adjustable feature of the distributing mechanism together with the short nozzle 43 and its universal connection with the tubular conduit 8| permits the stoker to be applied to any backhead whether it be a sloping backhead, or a straight backhead. Thus all parts of the stoker can be made of uniform and standard construction with the exception of the tubular conduit 5|, which can be conveniently and simply made to required length.

I claim:

1. In a tender having a fuel bin with a longitudinally extending central opening in the floor thereof, a spout having side walls depending from the under side of said floor adjacent corresponding edges of the opening therein, an open mouth stoker trough mounted on the tender beneath the forward portion of the opening in said bin floor and below the'lower marginal edge of said spout side walls, means forming a passage for fuel from said spout to said trough including walls overlapping the walls of said spout and extending into said trough, said means being pivotally mounted on the tender for upward swinging movement for withdrawing the walls thereof from said trough.

2. In a tender having a fuel bin with a longitudinally extending central opening in the floor thereof, a spout having side walls depending from the under side of said floor adjacent corresponding edges of the opening therein, an open mouth stoker trough mounted on the tender below the lower marginal edge of said spout side walls, a chute and a second spout mounted subjacent the rearward and forward ends of the bin, respectively, for pivotal movement about transversely extending axes, said chute and said second named spout at their free ends being supported by said trough and having walls forming a passage for fuel from said first named spout to said trough, the walls of said second named spout and chute overlapping the lower edges of said first named spout and extending at their lower ends into said trough.

3. In a tender having a fuel bin with a longitudinally extending central opening in the floor thereof, a spout having side walls depending from the under side of said floor adjacent corresponding edges of the opening therein, a chute and a second spout mounted subjacent the rearward and forward ends of the bin, respectively, for pivotal movement about transversely extending axes, means loosely holding said chute and said second named spout together at their free ends in overlapping relation, said chute having side walls the upper portions of which overlap the lower rear edges of the side walls of said first named spout, and said second named spout having side walls the upper portions of which overlap the lower front edges of the sidewalls of said first named spout.

4. In a tender having a fuel bin with a longitudinally extending central opening in the floor thereof, a spout having side walls and a front wall depending from the under side of said fioor adjacent the marginal side and front edges of the opening therein, a chute mounted beneath the rearward end of said bin for pivotal movement about a transversely extending axis, said chute having side walls arranged to overlap the'side walls of said spout and a bottornwall, a second spout mounted beneath the forward end of said bin for pivotal movement about a transversely extending axis, said second named spout having side walls and a front wall arranged to-overlap the side walls and front wall of said first named spout, the side walls of said second named spout at their forward "ends overlapping the forward end of said chute and means for loosely retaining said spouts and chute in overlapping engagement.

5. In a tender having a fuel bin with an opening in the floor thereof, an open mouth trough mounted on the tender beneath the level of said fuel bin floor, the rearward end of said trough being disposed forward of the marginal rear edge of the opening in said floor, meansforming a at its free end being supported by said trough.

6. In a tender having a fuel bin with an opening in the floor thereof, an open mouth trough mounted on the tender beneath the level of said fuel bin floor, the rearward end of. said trough being disposed forward of the marginal rear edge of the opening in said floor, means forming a passage for fuel from said bin to said trough including a chute and a spout pivotally mounted subjacent the rearward and forward ends of the bin, respectively, said chute and spout overlapping at their free ends and extending into said trough,

. ALBERT R. CHALKER. 

